Kittens that are separated from their mothers before they are weaned off, have a really low rate of survival unless a surrogate steps in.

That’s why rescuers at the Pima Animal Care Center in Arizona have joined forces with the nearby Catalina Springs Memory Care facility, to ensure that their most vulnerable kittens get 24-hour care they need.

The two kittens that initiated this program are Peaches and Turtle. When they arrived at PACC, they weighed just 7 ounces each. They were both in need of constant feeding as well as a lot of affection and socialization in order to grow and thrive.

Peaches and Turtle have received that and then some, from the moment they arrived at the memory care facility.

The creator of this program is Catalina Springs health service director, Rebecca Hamilton is a veteran kitten foster mom herself.

The kittens get the physical love, attention, and nurturing that they need, but what the seniors at Catalina Springs receive in return, is something even greater — they get to feel needed again. Most of these individuals have had the role of parents, grandparents and/or pet owner throughout their lives, so caring for the kittens comes naturally.

Per Sharon Mercer, Executive Director of Catalina Springs, the simple pleasure of caring for another living being is something that even dementia and Alzheimers cannot rob from a person.

“The desire to give love and receive love remains. The kittens have given us the opportunity to nurture this human condition that lies in each and every one of our residents.”

As excited as PACC and the Board of Directors were about the potential of this program, they couldn’t have predicted just how successful it would turn out to be.

Peaches and Turtle have doubled in weight, and thanks to a consistent supply of cuddles and caretakes, they’ve become very social and outgoing.

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Karen Hollish who is a spokesperson for Catalina Springs Memory Care, expressed her desire to see the program continue on. She feels that it’s been very beneficial to the patients, vital to the kittens, and so rewarding for the staff. In 2015, PACC took in more than 2,100 kittens, so it shouldn’t be difficult to continue such a successful program.

Before the program started , there was a time when PACC did not have the resources or man-power to accommodate all the baby kitties in need of care. But, thanks to programs such as this, more kittens will have the opportunity to grow up and become loving family pets.